


A New Christmas Tradition

by JustBecause86



Series: This Time Around [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/F, With a side of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:35:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21928324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustBecause86/pseuds/JustBecause86
Summary: Octavia and Raven's first Christmas together after getting engaged. Mrs. Woods decides to throw a big holiday party and everyone, and I mean everyone, is invited.
Relationships: Abby Griffin/Jake Griffin, Bellamy Blake/Echo, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Octavia Blake/Raven Reyes
Series: This Time Around [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559425
Comments: 7
Kudos: 57





	A New Christmas Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> I promised a follow-up to This Time Around and here it is.   
> So this started out as a one a day thing but I pulled it down because the flow didn't feel right. If you read any of the prompts I posted some of this might sound familiar.  
> It's only an hour or so from Christmas Eve here so here's an early present for you all!!!

“Whose idea was it to have a Christmas party again?” Raven complains as she finishes pulling her tank top back on over her head. She hadn’t wanted to get up at all but her fiancé had insisted that she get up and get dressed again. 

“Believe it or not,” Octavia says, poking her head out of their large, walk-in closet, “Mrs. Woods thought it would be nice to have everyone together for Christmas this year.”

“You’re right,” Raven says, shaking her head, “I don’t believe it. She’s never thrown a Christmas party, not as long as I’ve known Lexa.”

“It probably has something to do with the fact that all her kids have moved out now,” Octavia reasons with a chuckle, “That whole empty nest thing I guess.”

Raven snorts a laugh of her own, “That’s even harder to believe. She’s been grooming her kids to move out and take over the world their entire lives. Though the only one actively do that is Aiden.”

“True,” Octavia says as she emerges from their closet in a white tank top and tight jeans. “What do you think?” Octavia asks, holding up two sweaters in front of her. 

Raven takes the moment to appreciate her fiancé standing in front of her, jeans doing a wonderful job of showcasing Octavia’s legs and tank top leaving her shoulders bare, and a wide smile takes over her face.

“I think we should skip the party,” is Raven’s response as she takes a step closer, wrapping her arms around Octavia, who is now laughing, but who throws her arms, sweaters included, around Raven’s neck. 

“You’re such a flirt,” Octavia chuckles but places a soft kiss on Raven’s lips. _I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to how amazing that feels,_ Octavia thinks to herself with a smile. 

“Who said I was flirting?” Raven asks, quirking an eyebrow in question.

“Raven,” Octavia says with a heavy sigh, “we promised Lexa we’d come to the party.”

“I don’t want to go,” Raven moans as she drops her arms from around Octavia’s waist and sits on the foot of their bed.

Octavia chuckles, “You’re as bad as Cassie somedays. Now,” Octavia says, holding up the two sweaters again, “what do you think?”

“You’re joking right?” Raven asks dully as she takes in the clothes before her. The first one was red with the picture of a reindeer wearing sunglasses, Christmas lights tangles in his antlers. The second one was black, with Santa Clause dressed in an astronaut suit floating through space.

“Did I not mention it’s a ugly sweater party?” Octavia says with a wicked grin.

Raven groans and flops herself backwards onto the bed. 

“Come on, Rae, it’ll be fun,” Octavia says and when Raven doesn’t respond she tosses the sweaters onto the bed and climbs on to Raven, straddling her hips.

This, of course, gets Raven’s attention and she props herself up on her elbows, leveling her fiancé with a stare. 

“It’ll be fun,” Octavia says again, this time her voice dropping and she looks at Raven the way she knows drives the other woman absolutely crazy.

“Oh yea,” Raven says with a smile, sitting up to rest of the way, wrapping an arm around Octavia to keep her steady. Raven tries to keep the smile off her face as Octavia leans closer to her but fails.

“Yea,” Octavia says as her lips ghost over Raven’s, causing Raven to shiver as she leans forward, trying to capture Octavia’s lips, “but only if you get your butt dressed and to the party,” Octavia adds as she gives Raven a quick peck on the cheek and jumps off her.

“What the hell?!” Raven says feeling a sudden chill from the loss of heat from Octavia’s body.

“Get dressed Reyes,” Octavia laughs as she grabs the red sweater and heads out of their room, “I’m going to get Cassie ready.”

“That’s not fair,” Raven calls after her, “You’re a tease Blake,” Raven adds and is met by laughter from down the hallway.

She glares at the black sweater, still sitting on the bed next to her, and sighs heavily. 

Grabbing the sweater off the bed she heads into the hallway, switching off the light in their room as she goes. She makes her way the short distance to Cassie’s room, which sits next to their room. With to extra rooms they had considered which room should be Cassie’s but, for now at least, Octavia slept better knowing the girl was right next door.

Raven stops in the doorway of the room, watching Octavia slip the small Christmas sweater over the girl’s head. It was green and had a picture of Max from How the Grinch Stole Christmas on it. 

“Where are we going?” Cassie asks, poking her head out of the sweater.

“We’re going to Mrs. Woods for a Christmas party,” Octavia explains as she runs her fingers through the girl’s hair, trying to tame it some from the static of the sweater. 

“Will aunt Lexa be there?” Cassie asks and Raven can’t help but smile. Lexa had always seemed so unsure around kids, even her niece and nephew, for the longest time. Something had changed since Octavia and Raven had stated dating. Clarke, who was already Cassie’s honorary aunt, came over to see them at least twice a week and Lexa, being Clarke’s girlfriend, was almost always with her. 

Lexa had spent more time with Cassie than she did her niece and nephew. It wasn’t that Lexa and Anya didn’t get along, it was just that both of their schedules had kept them so busy that they rarely got to see each other. 

That was something else that had changed. Since Lexa had stopped working for her mother she had time that could be spent away from the office. This meant that, not only did she get to visit when Clarke did, but that she was able to spend more time with her sister and her family. Just like that she’d gone from being ‘technically’ an aunt to an aunt that saw her nieces and nephew a few times a week. 

The change in Lexa had not gone unnoticed by Raven, the girl was happier now, in every aspect of life and it made Raven smile to see her like that. 

_Wonder when her and Clarke are going to have the kid talk_ , Raven muses to herself. She and Octavia had had that talk back when they had first stared looking at houses a year and a half ago. Kids wasn’t something Raven had devoted much time to thinking about before Octavia and Cassie had come into her life but after that, yea, she thought about it a good bit.

Octavia hadn’t seemed surprised at all when Raven told her that she’s like to look into fostering kids together in the future. In fact, Octavia thought it was a great idea.

“Momma,” Cassie’s voice breaks into Raven’s thoughts, “do you have a sweater too?”

Raven cracks a smile and holds up the sweater in her hands and taking a few steps into the girl’s room, “I sure do, though mine isn’t nearly as pretty as yours.”

“Put it on!” Cassie says excitedly, throwing her hands up in excitement. 

With a sigh Raven pulls the sweater on over her head.

“What?” she ask s Octavia when she sees the other woman wearing a crocked smile.

“Nothing,” is Octavia’s answer as she leans forward and places a kiss on Raven’s cheek, “you’re just a push over for that girl.”

“For both of you,” Raven adds, wrapping an arm around Octavia’s waist and pulling her close, causing her to laugh, and places a soft kiss on her lips. 

“Alright, enough smooth talking,” Octavia says with a big smile, “let’s finish getting ready.”

**

“Clarke, are you almost ready?” Lexa calls from the living area of their apartment. They’d rented a studio apartment, Clarke saying that she loved the open layout and Lexa admittedly liking the less claustrophobic feel of the place.

Clarke, who had been in the bathroom for almost an hour getting ready, shouts out, “Almost done.”

“You said that half an hour ago,” Lexa smiles as she walks over to the bathroom door, “I’m sure you look amazing already.”

She’s meant with a laugh from behind the door and a moment later it opens to reveals her girlfriend. 

“You’re bias,” Clarke says with a crocked smile that always manages to drive Lexa nuts. 

“Am not,” Lexa smiles as she leans forward to place a kiss on Clarke’s lips, smiling into the kiss she takes a step forward.

Clarke hums and pulls back enough to say, “You’re trying to start something.”

“You’ve never complained before,” Lexa smiles, leaning forward again but frowns when Clarke takes another step back. 

“We’ve never promised your mother we’d go to her Christmas party before,” Clarke smiles at the frown on Lexa’s face. “We can get distracted later.”

“As long as you don’t decide to start one of your trivia challenges again,” Lexa sighs as Clarke steps back to the bathroom sink to finish her make up, “Last time you did, bot you and Raven got drunk off your asses.”

Clarke chuckles, “Only because she challenged my knowledge on Star Trek.”

“Yea, that’s still weird by the way,” Lexa says, bracing her arms against the doorjamb, “I never would have pegged you as a Star Trek girl.”

“I’m full of surprises,” Clarke throws her a wicked smile. 

Lexa bites her lip and nods, “That’s true.”

“Who exactly did your mother invite to this party?” Clarke asks.

“Everyone,” Lexa chuckles, “Us, your parents, Anya and her family, Aiden, Raven and Octavia, Octavia’s brother and mother, plus all the kids.”

“How many kids are there now?” Clarke asks as she starts putting her makeup away.

“Anya’s boy and girl, Bellamy’s boys, and Cassie,” Lexa says, counting them off on her fingers, “so I guess it’s up to five now.”

“Five kids in one house?” Clarke laughs, “this could be a fun night after all.”

**

“Raven, Octavia,” Mrs. Woods say as she opens the front door and sees the small family on her doorstep, “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Octavia beams as the older woman pulls each of them in for a quick hug as they step inside. 

“Are Lexa and Clarke here?” Raven asks, slipping out of her light jacket. 

“You’re the first ones here,” Mrs. Woods says with a small shake of her head, “but I’m sure the others will be here soon.”

“Can we do anything to help you finish getting ready?” Octavia offers as Raven helps Cassie out of her jacket. 

“There are just a few things to finish up,” Mrs. Woods answers, “I just need to finish getting the food ready, the cookies are the main thing. I got called into a meeting this afternoon and never got around to making them.”

“That’s something we can do,” Octavia smiles. 

“Oh and Raven,” Mrs. Woods says, “the projector in the viewing room isn’t working. Would you be able to take a look at it?”

“Sure,” Raven shrugs easily. 

“Can I go with momma?” Cassie asks Octavia who smiles at her daughter.

“Sure baby,” Octavia nods, “I’ll come get you when your cousins get here.”

While the only true cousins Cassie had were Bellamy’s two boys, they had taken to calling Anya’s kids her cousins as well. To be fair Cassie saw more of Anya’s kids than she did of Bellamy’s. Bellamy living on the other side of town made it difficult to see each other regularly and Cassie spending so much time at the shop with Raven, she’d become just as close with Anya and her family.

Beaming, Cassie reaches up and takes Raven’s hand. With a quick kiss on the cheek to Octavia, Raven and Cassie head off in the direction of the viewing room. 

“Those two are peas in a pod aren’t they?” Mrs. Woods says with a smile. 

“People keep telling her how much her daughter looks like her,” Octavia answers with a big smile. 

“Does that ever bother you?” Mrs. Woods asks as she and Octavia walk to the kitchen. 

“Not really,” Octavia says with a shake of her head. “To be fair, I think it’s because Cassie’s skin is darker than mine, but so was Lincoln’s so..”

They were still in the process of finding all the ingredients for the cookies when they hear the sound of the front door opening again followed closely by Lexa’s voice.

“Mom?” Lexa calls. 

“We’re in the kitchen,” Mrs. Woods says in response and a few moments later Lexa appears in the doorway, Clarke at her side. 

“Are you baking?” Lexa asks, disbelief in her voice. 

“Cookies,” her mother answers with a smile.

“I’ve never seen you bake, ever,” Lexa adds and Clarke bumps her shoulder against her girlfriend’s.

“Where’s Raven and the kid?” Clarke asks.

“In the viewing room,” Mrs. Woods answers, “I couldn’t get the projector to work and asked her to take a look at it.”

“Why don’t you go see if she needs help?” Clarke offers to Lexa, knowing her girlfriend was still trying to figure out why her mother was suddenly in the holiday spirit. 

“Yea,” Lexa nods, giving Clarke a quick kiss on the cheek before she heads down the hallway. 

Before anything else can be said Mrs. Wood’s phone begins to ring and she frowns down at the device. 

“Sorry, girls, I’m going to need to take this call,” she says as she answers the phone, stepping out of the kitchen and heading towards her office.

“Everything ok?” Octavia asks as she looks over the recipe Mrs. Woods had printed out. “Lexa looked a little stressed.”

“She’s suspicious,” Clarke acknowledges with a sigh, “she thinks her mother is up to something. Hence, the party.”

“I mean, it is a little unexpected for sure,” Octavia says as she opens a drawer, pulling out some measuring cups. 

“She’s been acting kind of off lately,” Clarke shakes her head, “Lexa, not her mother.”

“Off how?” Octavia asks, handing a measuring cup to Clarke and sliding her the bag of flour. “Three cups,” she adds.

“I know she’s thinking about something,” Clarke begins as she scoops flour out of the bag, “she gets this look on her face when she’s thinking a lot, but when ever I ask her what she’s thinking, she always tells me nothing.”

“So you think she’s keeping something from you?” Octavia asks with a raised eyebrow.

“I know she is,” Clarke says, “Has Raven every done anything like that?”

“I don’t think so,” Octavia shakes her head, “I do know that Lexa has been stopping by the shop a good bit recently to talk with Raven and her sister but I don’t know what they talk about.”

“Doesn’t that drive you nuts?” Clarke ask, pouring the last cup of flour into the bowl.

“Not really,” Octavia shrugs, dumping her own ingredients into the bowl, “if it was important, Raven would just tell me.”

“You are less than helpful,” Clarke complains as she reaches for the bag of chocolate chips on the counter. The blonde is quiet for a moment as she opens the bag and snags a chip for herself, popping it into her mouth. 

“Clarke,” Octavia says with a sigh, “I really think that if something was wrong Lexa would tell you.”

“I just wish I had some idea what she’s thinking,” Clarke says as she dumps some of the chips into the bowl. 

“A lot has changed in a short amount of time,” Octavia reasons, pulling two cookie sheets out of the cabinet as Clarke stirs, “you two started dating, finally,” this makes Clarke smile, “you moved in together, Lexa quit working for her mother and is doing something she loves, and now her mom is being weirdly festive this Christmas. Maybe she’s just trying to figure it all out.”

“I guess,” Clarke resigns as she looks at Octavia again, “Is Raven ever like that?”

“What?” Octavia asks, “Lost in her own mind?” When Clarke nods, Octavia chuckles and answers, “All the time.”

“How do you handle it?” Clarke asks as she picks up a spoon to start dishing up the dough. 

Octavia shrugs, “Make sure she knows I’m here for her no matter what and, if she needs to talk about it, I’m here for that too. Raven’s kind of a special case.”

Clarke rolls her eyes and Octavia continues, “No really. She’s had a pretty shitty life for a while and she kind of forgot what having a family is like. That it can be a good thing. I think sometimes that’s what get to her.”

“Thinking it’s too good to be true?” Clarke asks, understanding in her voice. 

“Pretty much,” Octavia nods, grabbing a spoon and dropping dough onto the cookie sheet. 

“Makes sense,” Clarke nods and drops a spoonful of her own onto the sheet.

“Jesus Griffin,” Octavia laughs, “That’s way too much for one cookie.”

Clarke smiles, “Come on, Blake, live a little.”

“If you’d like to know what I’m thinking,” Octavia says with a tight smile, “I’ll gladly tell you.”

“Oh no,” Clarke shakes her head, “you I can read like a book.”

“Ass,” Octavia chuckles as she hears the sound of footsteps and voices approaching from down the hallway.

“See you two are having fun,” Raven says with a smile as she, Lexa and Cassie round the corner into the kitchen. She walks up to Octavia and places a small kiss on her lips.

“Get a room,” Clarke says but smiles as Lexa steps up behind her, wrapping her strong arms around Clarke’s waist.

“Look whose talking,” Octavia smiles at her friend. 

Lexa leans forward and places a kiss on Clarke’s neck, Clarke instantly relaxing back into Lexa’s arms.

_Octavia’s probably right_ , Clarke thinks to herself, _if something was wrong, Lexa would tell me._

**

“Ok, wait a second,” Raven says with a short laugh, “who decided on this list?” She was looking down at a chalk board that Mrs. Woods had bought. It was separated into two sides, at the top of each was written _Nice_ and _Naughty_. 

Clarke was crouched down in front of the board and was currently scribbling names down. 

“Lexa’s mother put me in charge of the chalk board,” Clarke explains from her place on the floor.

“Pretty sure she said that because you’re the only one around with any artistic skills,” Raven smiles. “You are clearly not a good judge of behavior.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Clarke asks, throwing a look over her shoulder. 

“You have Octavia and I on the naughty list,” Raven explains with a sighs, “and you on the nice list.”

“Right,” Clarke nods, “and Lexa goes on the nice list too.”

“That one at least makes sense,” Raven agrees with a nod as she crouches down next to Clarke, “Sometimes I don’t think she knows how to be naughty.”

“Not true,” Clarke says with a devilish grin.

“Ew,” Raven says making a face that earns her a laugh from the blonde girl, “that is too much information.”

“Momma,” Raven hears Cassie yell accompanied by the sound of giggling and little footsteps.

“That can’t be good,” Raven says as she turns just in time to see Cassie, followed closely by Anya’s kids, run into the kitchen. They all skid to a stop in front of Raven.

“Momma, look whose here,” Cassie says, smile wide on her face. 

“Hi aunt Raven,” Anya’s son says with a wave.

“Hi guys,” Raven smiles, “I’m glad you’re all here. I think Clarke needs some help with the naughty list. Better make sure you’re not on it.”

The three children share a look, evil grins coming to all their faces and, before Clarke can get a word out, they all lunge at Clarke, who was still crouched down, and easily knocked over. 

She retaliates with tickles and but is no match for the three.

“See Reyes,” Clarke says as she tries to get back to a sitting position, “this is why you’re on the naughty list.

“I see my children have been here,” Anya says walking into the kitchen as the children head back into the living room.

“Just using the kids to teach Griffin here a lesson,” Raven answers with a smile.

“Looks like she needed it,” Anya smiles, watching as Clarke manages to get an arm around Cassie and swinging the girl into her lap, begins to tickle here, at least until Anya’s son tackles her.

“Jokes on you two,” Clarke laughs as she manages to get her free arm around the boy and lifts him up, “I don’t consider this a punishment.”  


“She’ll never learn that way,” Lexa agrees as she and Octavia walk into the room, they’d been sent off to find a Christmas movie for later that night. 

“You ok?” Octavia asks, seeing that Raven was crouched down and knowing how much her leg bothers her in the winter. She offers Raven her hand, which Raven accepts and comes back to her full height. 

Raven taking a moment to realize that, not all that long ago, she would had scoffed at the offer of help.

“Thanks love,” Raven says, leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on Octavia’s lips. 

“Alright, alright,” Anya says jokingly, “not in front of the kids will ya?”

“Cute,” Raven says with a look at her friend. She looks at the kids, still piling on top of Clarke and adds, “Whenever you guys are done beating up aunt Clarke, grandma said that we still need to decorate the Christmas tree.”

This news seems to stop the kids in their tracks and they all look at Raven. Mrs. Woods had bought a huge tree and set it up in the front room of the house, according to Lexa and Anya, it was the first real tree they’d ever seen in the house before. 

“We get to decorate the tree?” Anya’s daughter asks, crawling out of Clarke’s lap. 

“Yep,” Raven says popping the p, to which all the kids begin jumping up and down in excitement. “Alright minions,” Raven adds with a smile, “let’s go.”

Between Raven and Octavia they manage to rule in the kids and head for the front of the house. 

“Oh, Lexa,” Octavia says before she disappears from sight, “you mom said she bought some c-a-n-d-y canes and put them in the kitchen. Can you grab them?” Octavia asks, spelling out the word in hopes the kids don’t hear. The last thing she wanted was a tribe of kids hopped up on sugar.

“Sure,” Lexa says with a laugh. “You alright down there?” she then asks Clarke, who is still sitting on the floor, where the kids left her. 

“Those kids are tough,” Clarke huffs out a laugh. 

“Come on,” Lexa says, offering her a hand up off the floor. When Clarke comes to her feet she’s standing right in front of Lexa and her hands automatically rest on her girlfriend’s hips.

“Hi,” she says with a smile.

“Hi,” Lexa says, matching her smile before she leans in a kisses Clarke, the hands on her hips pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. 

“You keep doing that and I’m going to tell mom I got sick and we need to go home,” Lexa teases a few moments later. 

Clarke chuckles, placing a kiss on Lexa’s nose before taking a step away to find the candy canes, “While I would usually support that idea, we did promise your mom that we’d stay.”

“Buzzkill,” Lexa complains as she follow Clarke.

“How many boxes of candy canes did your mother buy?” Clarke asks as she begins to pull bag out from the cabinet Octavia had gestured to.

“From the looks all of this,” Lexa says as she sets the third bag on the counter, “enough to feed a small country.”

“You know, if those kids see all this sugar they’re going to be hyped up until New Year’s,” Clarke adds with a grin.

“Better hide these then,” Lexa says with a sigh, “otherwise we’re going to have three mothers after us.”

“Four,” Clarke corrects and when Lexa looks confused she counts them off on her fingers, “Your sister, Octavia’s sister-in-law, Octavia and Raven.”

“Right,” Lexa sighs, “Guess I’m still not used to Raven being a mom.”

“Takes time for sure,” Clarke nods, “Cassie’s been calling me aunt Clarke, but that was far and few between for the longest time, back when they lived on the other side of the country. Now, between her and your niece and nephew and Bellamy’s two kids, I get called aunt almost every day.”

“Does it bother you?” Lexa asks, her voice a little lower than before.

“No,” Clarke says, shaking her head in thought, “I think it’s growing on me. I like being the cool aunt.”

“The cool aunt,” Lexa repeats, not looking at Clarke, “that definitely sounds like you.”

“Yea,” Clarke agrees with a nod and when her girlfriend continues to not meet her gaze she asks, “What’s on your mind.”

“Nothing,” Lexa answers quickly with a shake of her head.

“Lex,” Clarke says slowly and when the brunette finally looks up at her she can tell that Lexa is most definitely thinking about something. “What’s going on?”

“I just,” Lexa starts to say but stops when the kids come running back into the room, this time with two more in their group. 

“Looks like Bellamy got here,” Lexa says with a smile looking at the two boys that look oh so much like their father. 

“Aunt Raven said you have candy canes,” Bellamy’s oldest pipes up and all the kids nod their heads in excitement. 

“Did she?” Lexa asks with a smile, then she slowly starts nodding her head. “There were some here a little bit ago, but I can’t remember where I put them, hmm,” she says, putting her hands on her hips and pretending to look around the room. She sighs dramatically and lets her hands fall to her side, “I guess I lost them.”

Cassie and Anya’s girl both gasps and cover their mouths with their hands, “You lost them?” Cassie asks.

“I guess I did,” Lexa plays along, “but maybe, now that you’re all here, we can find them together.”

Clarke watches as Lexa leads the line of kids around the room, looking for the missing candy canes and she can’t help but smile. 

_She is amazing with the kids_ , Clarke thinks to herself. A thought occurs to her then and without thinking she walks out of the kitchen and straight to the front room, where Raven and Octavia are talking and laughing as they pull decorations out of a box next to the tree.

“Hey, Clarke,” Octavia says, “we sent the kids to get the candy canes.”

“Lexa wants kids?” Clarke asks in response, the words surprising even her.

“What?” Octavia asks with a short chuckle, “did she just tell you that?”

“No,” Clarke shakes her head, “but she’s been acting weird and hanging out at the shop,” Clarke says looking at Raven, who looks like she might know more about it, “and she’s amazing with the kids and they make her so happy and.”

“Ok, Clarke,” Raven says thankfully stopping the word vomit coming from Clarke, “let’s talk.” 

Clarke nods numbly but follows Raven as she leads them out the front door and onto the porch, which is lit up with various colors from the lights hanging from the house.

“Deep breaths,” Raven says before anything else and she waits until Clarke takes a few breaths. Once she says Raven asks, “Better?’

“A little,” Clarke says then shakes her head, “I’m right, aren’t I? That’s what Lexa has been thinking about.”

“Yea,” Raven says simply with a nod.

“Why wouldn’t she just tell me that?” Clarke asks, crossing her arms over her chest. While most people wouldn’t say it was cold, for Clarke it is.

“Because she’s worried about brining it up,” Raven shrugs, “it’s kind of a big thing and she never really thought about it before recently.”

“Why’s she thinking about it now?” Clarke ask and a smile spreads across Raven’s face.

“She’s happy,” Raven shrugs when Clarke levels her with a look, “she is. She didn’t really see herself as the relationship type until you came along. Plus I think she’s really enjoying the aunt Lexa thing.”

“Those kids do love her,” Clarke nods.

“They love you too,” Raven says and with a smile adds, “aunt Clarke and just because Lexa is thinking about kids now doesn’t mean she’s ready for kids next week.”

Clarke can’t stop the laugh that escapes her, “Thank you, Raven. You’re not all bad.”

“Gee thanks,” Raven laughs, “does this mean my name can come off the naughty list?” she asks as they head back inside. 

Clarke laughs again and shakes her head, “Not a chance Reyes.”

**

A few hours later, after everyone had arrived, this included the Griffins, the Blakes, and the Woods plus all the kids, everyone sat gathered together in the main living room of the house. 

Abby and Jake sat together on the small love seat, Abby leaning into her husband while his arm was draped over her easily. 

Mrs. Woods sat in the tall arm chair that sat between the love seat and the couch. The couch held Octavia and Bellamy’s parents along and Aiden, the only one of the Woods children currently single. 

Raven, Octavia, Clarke, Lexa, Bellamy and his wife, Echo, all sat on the floor with the kids. 

They’d finished dinner a little bit ago and everyone was laying around, half dozing with full bellies. The kids had even started to wear down from their sugar rush they’d been on from eating half the candy canes that had never made it to the tree. 

Raven laid on her back on the floor, head resting in Octavia’s lap, eyes closed while Octavia lightly ran her fingers through the girl’s dark hair. 

“You going to make it the rest of the night?” Octavia asks Raven with a smile. Cassie was sitting with her cousins, who were gathered around Lexa and Clarke who had them all entertained in some kind of kids’ card game. 

“Mmm,” is Raven’s only response, not opening her eyes. 

“That doesn’t sound reassuring,” Octavia chuckles lightly.

“I’m just taking a quick power nap,” Raven answers, “but you keep running your fingers through my hair like that and I won’t stand a chance.”

“Not sure if you’re telling me to stop or keep doing it,” Octavia smiles down at her fiancé. The word still felt new to her, but also very right.

Raven opens her eyes, smiling up at Octavia, “Never stop.”

“You sap,” Octavia says but leans down and places a kiss on her lips. 

“Mommy,” Cassie says as she crawls across the small space between where she’d been sitting to sit next to Octavia. “Aunt Clarke said we’re going to read a story.”

“She did,” Octavia says glancing over at where Clarke sits on the floor next to Lexa. 

“Night before Christmas,” Clarke answers, “we used to read it every year on Christmas Eve.”

“Yes we did,” Abby adds with a smile and a nod.

“My father used to read it to me every year,” Jake says with a big smile, “it’s kind of a tradition.”

“What’s a tradition?” Cassie asks, struggling through the word only a little. Every since Raven had started teaching her Spanish it seemed that the girl was able to pick up more and more words every day.

“Something you do every year at the same time,” Octavia tries to explain, “like how we get new pajamas every Christmas.”

“Or like how, when I was a kid, we’d read night before Christmas and we’d eat cookies before bed,” Clarke adds.

“And how we always had hot chocolate on Christmas morning while we opened presents,” Bellamy smiles and adds, “still do actually.”

“What about you momma?” Cassie asks, looking at Raven, who had so far remained silent.

Raven slowly sits up, keeping her bad leg straight, and says, “When I was a kid we would start celebrating on Christmas Eve with a big nochebuena, half the neighborhood would show up and we’d eat and sing all night. Then on Christmas morning, we’d have pastels before we opened presents.”

The room had gone quiet as Raven told Cassie about her traditions growing up, and despite Raven having answered in a low voice, everyone had been paying attention.

“Why don’t we do that?” Cassie asks innocently and Octavia watches as Raven swallows hard. 

“Because it was something I only did with my mother and father,” Raven answers.

Cassie looks around the room then asks the question Octavia feared she would, “Where are they?”

“Baby,” Octavia says to Cassie hoping to spare Raven from having to answer but Raven shakes her head lightly. 

“It’s ok,” Raven answers and there’s no missing the tears welling in her eyes. She turns her head back to Cassie and answers, “They died when I was still in school.”

Cassie is silent for a moment before she settled herself carefully into Raven’s lap, the little girl had learned early on that Raven had a bad leg and cuddling into her. 

“They’re with my daddy,” Cassie says in a quite voice, breaking Octavia’s heart. 

“Yea they are,” Raven answers with a nod, a few tears sliding down her cheek.

“That means they can have Christmas together than,” Cassie says looking up at Raven for confirmation. 

Raven nods, smiling, “Yea kiddo, they can.”

“Are you ok?” Octavia asks about an hour later as she watches Raven lay Cassie down on a bed in one of the many guest rooms in Mrs. Woods house. By the time Clarke had finished reading the night before Christmas to the kids, most of them were asleep or their eyes were dropping heavily.

“Yea,” Raven answers straightening up and looking down at Cassie with a smile. “I haven’t let myself think about the old Christmas traditions in a long time.”

“I’m sorry she asked you about your parents,” Octavia offers but Raven waves her off as she takes the few steps to join her at the doorway.

“It was going to come up at some point,” Raven offers, “It’s really amazing how that little girl,” looking back at Cassie, “can always manage to find the good things.”

“She is something, isn’t she?” Octavia agrees with a smile. 

“Takes after her mother,” Raven smiles at Octavia and chuckles when she notices the shorter girl blushing. “Can still make you blush,” Raven adds with a cocky smile.

“Don’t be a butt,” Octavia says but with a smile as she wraps an arm around Raven’s waist and they head back downstairs to where everyone was still gathered in the living room.

“Alright,” Clarke announces with a wicked grin as Raven and Octavia walk back into the room.

“It’s time for Christmas trivia,” Clarke announces as she starts handing out tiny red solo cup shot glasses to everyone, “Each time you get one wrong, you drink.”

“Clarke, no, not again,” Lexa whines.

“I’m with Lexa on this one,” Octavia sighs, “do you not remember what happened on Halloween.”

“I do,” Clarke nods as she hands Octavia a cup, “and I need to reclaim my title as master of trivia. Plus none of us have to drive home tonight anyway.”

“You’re just sour because Raven kicked your ass at Halloween trivia,” Octavia counters with a chuckle as Raven turns down the offered cup. She doesn’t drink due to the interaction alcohol has with the pain meds she takes for her knee.

“Only because she can’t drink,” Clarke defends back. 

“Alright kid,” Abby says gesturing for Clarke to hand her a cup.

“Really mom?” Clarke ask, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Oh yea,” her mother laughs, “Someone needs to teach you kids a thing or two. What do you say Helen?” she adds looking over at Mrs. Woods. 

The older woman hesitates a moment before she shrugs and says, “Why not?”

“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Anya says with a wicked smile of her own.

“Alright then,” Clarke says as she hands Mrs. Woods a cup, she then proceeds to fill each one with the peppermint schnapps she’d swiped from the kitchen. She pulls her phone out and says, “First question.”

Half an hour later and most of the bottle of schnapps was gone but the living room, a place that for as long as Lexa could remember had been a quiet place, was alive with laughter, including that of her mother.

“Ok, next question,” Clarke says, her voice slurred slightly. “In the classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the grinch is described with three words. What are they?”

“Stink, stank, stunk,” Abby and Helen sing together, Helen having taken Jake’s place next to Abby on the loveseat. He’d happily given it up after it was clear the two were attempting to gang up on the younger generation.

“I didn’t even think you knew that movie,” Anya objects, her voice also slurred as the old women were clearly winning. 

“My dear,” Helen says with a wave to her oldest, “I was watching that movie years before you were even a gleam in your father’s eye.”

“Ew, too much,” Anya says, making a face, “How come we only watched it when we went to gram’s house?”

Helen shrugs but answers, “I’ve made a few mistakes with your kids, that was just one of them.”

“Mom,” Lexa says from her place on the floor, a rather drunk Clarke leaning against her.

“No it’s alright,” Helen says with a wave, “it’s true. I spent more time focusing on getting the business up and running than I did on you kids growing up.” She sighs but then adds, “I didn’t completely realize it until Aiden moved out.”

There’s silence for a moment before she adds, “I’m not disappointed in either of you girls,” she looks from Anya to Lexa, “I’m actually very happy that you’ve found something that makes you both happy.”

“Mom,” Anya says, her voice low.

“Oh, enough of this,” Helen says, waving a hand in the air, “Clarke, what’s the next question?”

**

“I can’t believe you guys got your asses kicked by the parents,” Raven chuckles as she helps Octavia up the stairs. Mrs. Wood’s had a room for everyone and theirs was next to the one that Cassie was sleeping in, along with the other kids. 

“Grandparents,” Octavia slurs as Raven opens the door. “We got beat by the grandparents.”

Raven chuckles and nods, “Yes you did.” She closes the door and sits Octavia on the edge of the bed. “Give me your foot,” she says knowing crouching down again tonight might not be wise.

Octavia lifts her foot so Raven can reach it, the movement causing Octavia to flop backwards onto the bed.

“You’re a mess,” Raven laughs again but quickly pulls her shoe off, tapping it she says, “other foot.” Octavia obliges and starts humming, a smile on her face.

“What am I going to do with you?” Raven asks, smile wide as she looks down at Octavia.

“Let me sing,” Octavia breaths. Ever since that first night, when Octavia had stepped up on stage and sung she’d been going back once a week and doing the same. Raven was always there, at their table, watching her.

“I love it when you sing,” Raven nods as Octavia continues to hum, “Are you going to sing now?”

“Mhmm,” Octavia nods, her eyes closed. There’s a moment then she starts singing, “I don’t want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need, and I don’t care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree.”

“Oh no,” Raven says with a laugh but Octavia sits up, smiling.

“I don’t need to hang my stocking, there upon the fireplace, Santa Clause won’t make me happy, with a toy on Christmas day,” Octavia slowly stands up, putting her into Raven’s space.

“What do you want?” Raven asks, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat.

“I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know, make my wish come true,” Octavia sings, laying her hands on Raven’s waist, and pulling her closer, “Baby, all I want for Christmas is you.”

Raven smiles and leans down, before her lips touch Octavia’s she says, “You’ve got me. Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> I love writing this story and these characters so much, I'm sure this won't be the last you guys see of them!!


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